STROUDSBURG, Pa. – No. 16 Kutztown committed four errors, two in each game, giving No. 9 East Stroudsburg some crucial runs in support of two strong starting pitchers as ESU took both games Wednesday in a nationally-ranked Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division doubleheader at Creekview Park.
 
The Warriors (32-6 overall, 16-2 PSAC) have had the Golden Bears' (27-10, 11-7) number this season, sweeping the regular season set of four games, winning both games at North Campus Field back on March 18.
 
ESU finished with 25 hits on the day off of three KU pitchers, while the Maroon and Gold ended with 12 hits off two Warrior arms.
 
Emily Henn (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley) led the way offensively for Kutztown, going 3-for-7 with three RBIs and two runs scored. She had a home run in the opener that gave KU a brief 2-0 advantage in the third. Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township), Naya Darnowski (Manchester, N.J./Manchester Township), Alexa Stevens (Covington Township, Pa./North Pocono) and Sarah Harvat (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) all recorded two hits each with Harvat contributing two RBIs. Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) added an RBI in the nightcap.
 
Kutztown remains on the road for its third straight East doubleheader as it heads to Mansfield this Friday, April 11, for two games, beginning at 1 p.m.
 
East Stroudsburg 5, Kutztown 2
 
Kutztown took an early lead. After two scoreless innings, KU scored both of its runs in the game in the top of the third inning thanks to a two-run home run from Henn, her fourth of the season and second this month. Stocklin led off the inning with a single up the middle and scored on Henn's long ball. The senior center fielder led the lineup with two hits.
 
But the lead did not last long, however, as East Stroudsburg responded with its first run of the contest in the bottom of the third and then added another in the fourth to tie the score 2-2.
 
Reigning PSAC East Pitcher and Rookie of the Year, Sarah Davenport, settled in after the third inning and allowed just two hits in the final four frames. Her offense provided more support in that span, with three runs coming in the bottom of the sixth inning, coming on four hits, none bigger than a two-run triple with two outs by Abigail Weirich.
 
The Warriors outhit the Golden Bears 13-5 and KU suffered two errors, including on what proved to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Natelee Harvey pitched a strong game, throwing 4.1 innings, giving up just one earned run, while striking out five batters.
 
East Stroudsburg 7, Kutztown 4
 
Just as it did in game one, Kutztown got out in front early on, this time with a three-run, top of the first inning as four of the first five batters reached safely and five total, including four singles by Darnowski, Henn, Stevens and a two-run base hit by Harvat. Slomkowski was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to draw in a run.
 
But East Stroudsburg answered with a big inning of its own, bringing in five runs in the bottom-half of the frame, four of which were unearned because of two errors.
 
The Warriors added two more in the fifth after three scoreless innings and the Golden Bears tacked on a run in their final at-bats in the seventh as Jenna Piatkiewicz (Fogelsville, Pa./Parkland), Darnowski and Henn all singled.

  Read Full Article